Okkervil River

An earthy intimacy permeates Okkervil River’s multifaceted indie rock, thanks to the introspective songwriting of founder Will Sheff. Formed in the late ‘90s in Austin, Texas, the band released their debut record, Don’t Fall In Love With Everyone You See, in 2002. The album’s rich folk rock—like the lyrically ghastly “Westfall”—established a sound Sheff fleshed out further on 2003’s Down the River of Golden Dreams and 2005’s breakthrough Black Sheep Boy, which featured songs that referenced folk singer Tim Hardin’s heroin addiction while also examining Sheff’s own heartbreaks. The record’s orchestral, lived-in nature (see “A Stone”) proved Sheff to be a deft arranger, and subsequent albums built on that reputation: 2007’s The Stage Names and 2008’s The Stand Ins delved into more electric territory; 2013’s The Silver Gymnasium paid tribute to Sheff’s New Hampshire hometown; and 2016’s lush Away memorialised a difficult period of his life. For 2018’s In the Rainbow Rain, Sheff turned to psychedelia, continuing to expand Okkervil River’s sonic scope.